Who Is The Social Consumer?
January 11th, 2012 8:00am by Nick Sweeney
Meet Tina. Tina is a social consumer. You wouldn't know it by looking at her, unless of course you saw her while she was staring down at her phone, tweeting the latest interaction she had with her friends, her family, or her favorite brand of toothpaste.
You see, Tina is not just any customer. She's a social consumer, that rare breed marketers are falling over themselves trying to understand. Does she want us to talk to her or not? Should I be funny? Humble? Cocky? Does she really "like" like us? Why not? How can I get her attention?
Like a bunch of teenagers just starting to get over cooties, marketers are falling all over themselves trying desperately to get the attention of consumers like Tina.
And why not? Tina has been bred and raised to ignore almost all forms of traditional marketing, eschewing attempt after attempt to separate her from her money.
Flashy, over-the-top materialism? Please, that's so last decade. Paris Hilton? Yeah, right. Inauthentic, celebrity-endorsed promotions? Umm, how about "no"?
It's that friggin' new-fangled "social media" that's taking away marketers' ability to pump yet another ad in front of Tina's face in hopes of making her crack. She doesn't even watch TV anymore; her eyes are constantly affixed on her laptop or smartphone.
And that damned Facebook. She's ALWAYS on Facebook, yet she hasn't "Liked" our page yet. What's wrong with us? Why can't we reach out to her?
Relax there, Mr. Marketer. No reason to go running to your bedroom to play Morrissey and sulk. You too can get Tina's attention (and dollars).
You've just got to understand her.
Your problem, Mr. Marketer, Mrs. Business Owner, and Sir CEO, is that you have been looking at Tina all wrong. You think she'll like you because of how you talk to her. But the truth is, she'll like you more if you talk with her.
In a fascinating report (well worth the download), The CMO Council released figures that found (not surprisingly) that what consumers expect from social media and what marketers are giving could not be any farther apart (hear that, Mr. Marketer?).
The biggest surprise? Most social consumers are "fine with brands reaching out to them through social networks, but" - and here's the kicker - "the message must be relevant, timely, and valuable."
Take a second and read that last part once more. When is the last time you posted something on Facebook or tweeted something to your followers that was relevant, timely, and valuable?
To them, not to you?
Check out some of the (not-so) surprising facts below:
Social consumers "inherently trust information they get from each other more than they trust brand messages."
And this isn't a bad thing. You can be the guy behind the guy if you get your fans talking about you to their friends. Who doesn't trust their friends?
55 percent are already looking for product information through social media.
Meaning: They're looking right at you! Give them an awesome reason to Like you!
74 percent of social consumers use social media to recommend products to their friends.
How do you spell word-of-mouth?
Social consumers expect exclusivity for "Liking" a branded Facebook Page.
Give them something special (you know, like a great offer).
41 percent of social consumers expect to share product ideas on Facebook.
Yet, only 4 percent of brands actually seek their fans' input. Tsk, tsk.
Social consumers become "exceedingly loyal" and "go out of their way to help the brand" when they're "acknowledged, rewarded, and offered relevant information."
Translation: you have built-in ambassadors just waiting to help your business out!
Bottom line: the social consumer isn't that hard to understand. After all, you're probably a social consumer yourself. What would you want to see?
So go on, talk to Tina, the social consumer. Don't be afraid; she won't bite.
But she might just buy.